Let’s go to Week 3 quotage from CBS’ pair of pregame shows, That Other Pregame Show and the NFL Today.
Lots of stuff going on with both programs.
NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH JAMES BROWN, BOOMER ESIASON, BILL COWHER, TONY GONZALEZ AND BART SCOTT AND “THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW” WITH ADAM SCHEIN, AMY TRASK, LONDON FLETCHER AND BRANDON TIERNEY FOR WEEK 3 ON SEPTEMBER 21
NFL TODAY QUICK HITS
BOOMER ESIASON, TONY GONZALEZ, BART SCOTT AND BILL COWHER WEIGH IN ON CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING NFL
BILL COWHER: …Where is De Smith with all this? He is Executive Director of the NFLPA. The League has had an image problem. But the players do as well…We’re talking about less than 1% of the players. De Smith, where is his press conference? Show me the initiatives you want to put forth. Tell me. He has an obligation to represent that less than 1%, I agree. Does he not have an obligation to represent the 99% of the League, over 1,600 players, who are also bothered by this image that they are now having?..
(On Carolina Panthers)
BOOMER ESIASON: How about the Carolina Panthers? This is one of the best defenses in football and they have a quarterback…This is one of the best teams in football. I think they’re the best team in football right now as we speak. That doesn’t mean much. But the fact of the matter is; defense travels, running game travels; and [they have] a big-time quarterback.
“NFL TODAY INSIDER” JASON LA CANFORA REPORT
James Brown and THE NFL TODAY Insider Jason La Canfora reports on the latest issues surrounding the Baltimore Ravens.
KELLY TOUGH: BOOMER ESIASON VISITS WITH BILLS HALL OF FAME QB JIM KELLY
Hall of Famer Jim Kelly sat down with THE NFL TODAY’s Boomer Esiason to discuss his biggest victory, beating cancer, as well as the legacy he will leave behind. CBS Sports’Charlie Bloom is the producer.
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THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS) NOTES
(ON THE OAKLAND RAIDERS)
LONDON FLETCHER: The only reason a veteran goes to Oakland is to get a payday. No player, all things considered equal, wants to go play for Oakland. They just don’t. The Raiders went out and got a bunch of aging veterans whose better days are behind them. Charles Woodson is a Hall of Fame player. I feel bad for him because this is a man who will go out there every week and give them his all. The problem is, they don’t have a tremendous amount of talent on that team. They just don’t.
AMY TRASK: When Al (Davis) passed away and new people were brought in to run the organization, one of the criticisms leveled at Al, and in some regards fairly, was (that he would go) out and find one-year fixes. Yet, that is what is going on again… That team in Hue Jackson‘s last year was one game removed from the playoffs. Hue lost his starting quarterback less than halfway through the season. He got a quarterback off the couch who had no training camp, no preseason and no offseason. The team was one game away from the playoffs. I don’t accept the narrative that there were no choices.
(ON NEW BUFFALO BILLS OWNERSHIP):
STEVE TASKER: As for the new ownership in Buffalo, Terry Pegula and his family have been the group that the people here in Buffalo were cheering for from the moment they threw their hat in the ring. When it was known that Pegula’s group actually did win the bid, fans were absolutely ecstatic… People are ecstatic to see him take the reins of a franchise that is really part of the fabric here in Western New York. If you’re looking for a game that will have a lot of atmosphere, check out the Buffalo-New England game in Buffalo on Oct. 14. It will be the first game after the owners have given the stamp of approval to Terry Pegula to take the reins. He will be the full-fledged owner on Oct. 14 when the New England Patriots visit Orchard Park. You can bet the atmosphere will be something to remember.
More quotage will be posted as it comes in.
